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A stack of three gooey butter cake squares.

Gooey Butter Cake Recipe

Desserts & Drinks
This Gooey Butter Cake recipe is one of our favorite easy desserts when we’re craving something extra indulgent! Made with a buttery yellow cake base and a sweet cream cheese layer, it bakes until golden on top while staying perfectly soft and gooey in the center. It’s super impressive but secretly SO easy to make with just a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time. We love serving it for holidays, parties, or anytime we need a crowd-pleasing dessert!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 Servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Cake:

  • 1 yellow cake mix, I used a 15.25-ounce Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
  • 2 large eggs
  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Layer:

  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 cups (1 pound bag) confectioners' sugar

Instructions
 

Make the Cake Layer:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Grease a 9”x13” cake pan with baking spray and line it with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper, too.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Switch to a rubber spatula once the batter becomes super thick and mix until combined.
  • Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer with a rubber spatula or press down with your fingertips.

Make the Cream Cheese Layer:

  • In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and melted butter, and beat until mostly smooth. It’s ok if there are some lumps.
  • Add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, beating in between each addition.
  • Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cake batter and spread into an even layer.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top of the cake is nearly set, the top is golden and slightly wavy, and just a bit gooey-looking.
  • Let cool for 25 minutes before serving!

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice
Keyword gooey butter cake, gooey butter cake recipe, ooey gooey butter cake
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